Tonight
by Saber Wing
Summary: In that moment, she caught a glimpse of the man he could be, of the kindness and warmth that was hidden within. She knew she was right. She had to be. Squall x Rinoa


_**Author's Note: **_Hi there everyone! I'm so glad to be writing something for this fandom again, after three years. The first stories that I published here are in the Final Fantasy VIII fandom, but they suck. They really _really _suck. I cringe when I look at them O.o. There are spoilers, including in the rest of the summary.

I don't own Final Fantasy VIII or any of the characters, of course. If I did, that kissing scene at the end of the credits would have been in plain view instead of from thousands of feet away. On with the story!

**Tonight**

**By: Angel Wings-008**

Rinoa knew from the moment she saw him that he was special. That much was obvious with just a fleeting glimpse.

Of course, she hadn't expected to find him; she hadn't come here looking for love, or a quick dance with a handsome stranger. She was only here tonight to help Timber and the Forest Owls. Perhaps if she got lucky, she would catch a glimpse of Seifer, but that faint desire paled in comparison compared to achieving Timber's freedom. That was all she wanted; all she needed. Wasn't it?

She'd been searching for Headmaster Cid when it had happened. The dance floor was alive with beautiful music, people dancing, and the sounds of chatter floating around among comrades and friends. There wasn't a single person left out of the interactions around her, or at least, that was what she'd thought at first glance. However, when she'd turned her gaze toward the wall she'd immediately realized, with a bit of surprise, that she was wrong.

Rinoa stood still in the middle of the dance floor, unmoving, her eyes locked onto the man that occupied her thoughts. It was rude to stare, but she couldn't help herself. He stood against the far wall with a wine glass in his hand, staring off into space and looking as if he wished he were somewhere else. There was something awkward about the way he held himself, as if he felt out of place among his fellow SeeDs; though honestly, she had no idea why. To Rinoa, he was the one that most looked the part.

He was dashing; that was really the only word that seemed to do him justice. The SeeD uniform he wore was the same as the others she saw, and yet she was shocked that it could look as different on a person as it did on him. Soft brown locks of hair framed his face, and occasionally a few strands would fall into his eyes whenever he moved his head. A long, deep red scar ran diagonally along the bridge of his nose; she had to admit, it was sexy, though even taking all of these features in, what fascinated her the most were his eyes.

They were a gorgeous blue-gray, framed with thick, sexy lashes that any girl would be jealous of. His gaze was clear and intelligent, though there was a certain hardness as well, as if his guard never faltered and was never let down. She found herself wanting to get behind those eyes, to wipe away the pain she knew would be underneath and save him from himself. Her father had the same look in his eyes; cold and somehow lonely. Maybe that was why she could see so well into people who tried to hide and lock themselves away. She'd lived with such a person for the first years of her life. Her father was lost to her, she knew that, but there was something about this man that was different. What was it? She didn't even know this guy, but despite telling herself that she didn't have time to know him, she couldn't seem to help it. She wanted to know him. Was that so wrong?

He was a knight in rugged armor, strong and fearless; unreachable, and frozen as ice.

Rinoa shook her head. This was stupid. How could she possibly know anything about this man if she'd only just stared at him for about ten seconds? She supposed it was somewhat understandable, with her father being the way he was, but this was a bit extreme. She knew it was impossible, yet at the same time, something told her she might be right. Something inside of her wanted to find out.

A shooting star streaked past the skylight, straight through the midnight-black sky, and thrilled, she turned her head to glance at it. It was beautiful, mesmerizing. She loved the stars. They were things of dreams; everyone wanted just one touch, just one more glimpse of the unattainable. She always strove to achieve the impossible. One day she believed she could touch the stars themselves. Maybe it was foolish, but that was who she was and she wasn't changing that for anyone. Anything was possible, if you only believed it.

When she glanced back toward the wall from the corner of her eye, she was greeted with yet another facet of the lonely man. He was staring at it too, but it wasn't just that. His eyes, those hardened, cold eyes, were open and alive. In that moment, she caught a glimpse of the man he could be, of the kindness and warmth that was hidden within. She knew she was right. She had to be. No one who was truly cold and ruthless could gaze at a shooting star with such a vulnerable, lonely, look in his eyes.

As he followed the shooting star's path, the man's gaze found her at the end of it; she turned her head, and in a moment that took her breath away, their eyes met. With a smile, she raised a finger to her lips, pointing toward the star they had both seen in the darkened sky. He cocked his head in a quizzical way, as if wondering what she could want with someone like him. If anything, that made her even more interested in this puzzle of a man than before.

Without another moment's hesitation, she walked straight up to him, and just as quickly as they had dropped, the walls were back up again. That was okay; she'd kind of expected it. She'd lived with a general, after all. _The stiffest of them all_, she thought with an edge of cynicism. Wouldn't it be wonderful if she could get him to loosen up and dance with her under a blanket of stars? Maybe it was the hopeless romantic in her, but it was worth a try, at least. Maybe that was the first step toward something bright in the future.

"You're the best looking guy here. Dance with me?" Rinoa asked, never taking her eyes off of his. He said nothing, merely taking a deliberately nonchalant swig of his wine. She felt her face break out into a smile. This was going to be fun. She could already tell that he was going to be a tough nut to crack.

It went on as a monologue for a minute or two, with nothing more than a few raised eyebrows at first from her unwilling companion, but eventually, she did get a response, if three words counted as one.

"…I can't dance," he muttered, shrugging slightly. He looked annoyed, probably just wanting to be left alone. Well, that was exactly why she wasn't _going _to leave him alone. This guy needed someone to push him. She could do that.

"You'll be fine. Come on. I'm looking for someone. I can't be on the dance floor alone," she replied, quirking her lips into a flirty smile. She hadn't been looking to dance at all at the start of this night, but if it was with him, she felt she couldn't miss it for the world. Without waiting for a response, she grabbed his hand and dragged him along behind her, without much resistance on his part. Deep inside, she was sure he didn't _want _to hold himself back so much, to always be alone. The fact that he allowed himself to be pulled along supported that. If he'd wanted to, he could have easily broken free from her.

It was awkward at first since he was taken off guard, but she thought that was adorable. At the start of the dance, she positioned his arms gently upon her waist, though even then he seemed reluctant to touch her there. Maybe he was a bit shy on the inside as well. Within about twenty seconds of the dance, he'd already stumbled into her and, seemingly embarrassed, turned to leave the dance floor. Before he could move another step, she grabbed his arm and pulled him toward her, going on as if nothing had ever happened. She wanted to make him smile and let down that armor of his, if only for a little while. She wasn't letting him leave until he did.

Another few seconds later, they ran straight into another couple. Oh well; those two should have been watching where they were going. The couple gave her a dirty look as she scowled at them, sticking her tongue out in a manner she knew was juvenile but hey, sometimes the classic was best. She would have laughed, if she hadn't thought it would ruin the moment.

Turning a radiant smile toward her dance partner, she cocked her head in amusement. _Come on, _she thought, _you can do better than that._

And oh, how right she was. Something changed in him once again; his shielded eyes melted into the warm ones that she loved to gaze into, unguarded and alive with emotion. From that moment on, she knew she'd succeeded. Flawlessly they moved to the music, perfectly in sync with one another. He seemed happy right now, didn't he? She liked to think that his eyes were lit up with the freedom and joy of the moment, wanted to believe he liked dancing with her, being with her. Why couldn't they always stay like this, caught up in the moment? There was another very important reason for being here, she knew that, but she didn't want to remember. Rinoa knew that was horrible of her, but she couldn't help it. Didn't she deserve something for herself, just this once? Was she selfish for wondering?

Fireworks exploded in a magnificent display above their heads as they came together in each others arms, making her feel more secure than she had in a long time. If this were another day, she would have leaned up to kiss those sculpted lips. If this were another time, she wouldn't have hesitated at all, but as it was she doubted he would accept it.

Even if he would, she couldn't allow herself to fulfill that desire. She'd completely lost track of what she'd came here to do the moment she had set eyes on him, and yet now, as she noticed Headmaster Cid mere feet from her, she had no choice but to come to her senses and think about why she was here. It was all for the Forest Owls, for freedom, and for the future of the people that she'd sworn to help. Always for them, but never for herself. She'd been selfish enough in the past; she had to make amends in every way she could.

For one second more she cherished the contact with this magnificent man. Rinoa didn't even know his name, but that detail seemed small compared to all of the things they had shared in this short time. Or at least, what she had shared with him. She knew that he had no idea, but that was okay. How could he? Time probably meant nothing to him, including these few short minutes he'd spent with her.

That time meant more to her than anything, she realized. It startled her a little, but it also gave her hope. Someday she would find him again. She couldn't explain why, but she felt it in her gut, knew it in her soul. That armor that he hid behind would shatter and crash to the ground, of that, she swore.

One day she would find a way, but not here. Not tonight.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

So what did you think? Don't hold back. If there's anywhere I need to improve, I'd love to know how. Thanks for reading! Reviews are always appreciated!


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